1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention is related to an apparatus that provides a table, work bench, or the like having planar horizontal working surface. More particularly, the present invention is directed to load bearing structure, such as a table, having a pair of end panels connected to a central vertically oriented brace, which together support a load bearing work surface, which requires no fasteners, but may include them.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.97-1.99.
Temporary work surfaces are frequently necessary or convenient in a variety of situations. When camping or picnicking, for example, tables may not be available. When working at a construction site, it is typically necessary for certain workers, such as finish carpenters, to provide their own work benches. Most existing benches or tables are not readily portable because they have large, irregular, and awkward shapes and cannot be easily loaded into most vehicles. Other types of tables or benches, such as card tables and other folding tables, may be portable, but lack the strength that many applications require.
Efforts have been made to provide a table or bench with a horizontal work surface that can be readily assembled and disassembled, but these typically have significant disadvantages. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,450 issued to Stickler, there is disclosed a picnic table with attached seating benches that is assembled with tabs that project into matching slots in other pieces. This table includes many parts and assembly would require a substantial amount of time. Further, the benches prevent any substantial use of the table top for any work that may require standing and the table would have at best limited stability without the benches. Another similar picnic table is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,032 issued to Olsen et al. Still another such table is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,053, issued Parker et al., which requires the use of fasteners, illustrated as nuts and bolts, which severely reduce the advantages associated with a portable table by increasing the time required for assembly and disassembly.
An executive desk similarly assembled is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,040, issued to Sheffer. Sheffer '040 does not include any benches, but does include a pair of vertical end panels with channels for receiving three horizontal support beams, upon which a table top sit. As it is made from corrugated fiberboard, it appears not to have the strength that many applications would require, and the perpendicular angles utilized in the assembly do not provide the good lateral stability required of work surfaces that will be used for heavy outdoor work. The use of slots that receive aligned tabs on other parts to provide an assembly have been employed in other furniture items, including tables (U.S. Pat. No. 2,615,771, issued to Curtis, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,000,915, issued to Blake); chairs (U.S. Pat. No. 2,347,821, issued to Goldner); and stools (U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,189, issued to Xavier). These and other similar devices appear either to be too complex for the casual user or not strong enough for hard use, or both.
Therefore, a need exists for a portable table that has a minimum of parts, that requires no fasteners, but may utilize reusable fasteners to insure that the table top remains attached to the portable table, even when it is lifted by the top, and that, consequently, can be readily assembled and disassembled and shipped or stored as a flat package, that can withstand rugged use, and that provides substantial lateral stability and compression strength.